


Molly's Return

by MzDany



Category: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-25
Updated: 2012-06-24
Packaged: 2017-11-08 12:16:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,911
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/443101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MzDany/pseuds/MzDany
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to "Ninjas and heroes". After her return from the Tibetan monastery, Molly and Shane have some unfinished business to attend to…</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

He stood in the exact same spot as he had ten and a half months ago, staring out through the panoramic window onto the tarmac where the planes were busily taxiing between the runways and the gates. The last time he was here his heart had been so heavy, his soul torn by the gut-wrenching goodbye from _her_. But not today. Today she was coming back.

Shane shifted from one foot to the other impatiently, watching as the boarding bridge latched on to the Delta jet that had just come to a stop at the gate. His hand came up, fingering the familiar white pendant around his neck. The day after they had sealed the Abyss of Evil over Lothor and the Wind and Thunder academies were restored, he had sought out Molly's best friend Carmen. Over lunch, he had revealed Molly's current whereabouts to her, as well as the circumstances behind it. The Earth ninja was elated, yet didn't seem surprised by the tale of Molly's elemental power feats; apparently, she had more confidence in her best friend's psychic talents than Molly herself ever had. He had handed her the keys to their Honda, but before he could take off Molly's necklace, Carmen had stopped him.

 _'Keep it,'_ she had said. _'I have a feeling that Molly would want you to wear it. Besides, it looks good on you.'_ He hadn't taken it off since.

His gaze now flickered to the other people that were beginning to cluster around the arrival doorway; mostly Asians – this _was_ a flight from Tibet, after all - waiting for family and friends to depart the plane. Many of them were craning their necks, trying to catch glimpses of the approaching passengers with excited expressions on their faces, but no one in the entire room was more eager than Shane. Some of the waiting children bore small gifts: flowers, Mylar balloons with 'Welcome' printed on them; Shane had nothing. He had been so focused on getting to the airport on time that it had completely slipped his mind to get her a welcome present. He was just about to berate himself about that when he suddenly saw her.

Molly looked a bit different; her dark-blonde hair, which had been long to begin with, was now even longer, her previously short bangs had grown out, and her face and neck were tanned to a golden brown; obviously she had spent a lot of the past ten months outdoors. With a small smile he remembered several of her e-mails in which she had, with a distinct undertone of exasperation, described all the daily chores she had been given by the monks. Lots of those must have been outside of the monastery.

Shane took a step forward at the same time as Molly's head turned while she stepped through the arrival doors. They locked eyes and for a moment time seemed to stand still until she suddenly cried out, dropped her backpack and threw herself into his arms with such unadulterated joy that his knees grew weak. He hugged her back fiercely, her contagious laughter making him laugh right along with her. He spun her around once, burying his face in the side of her neck, breathing in her scent while he sent a quick, silent _thank you_ to the spirits above for returning her safely. Long moments passed as they hugged by the side of the arrival doors, oblivious to the stream of passengers walking by.

On the way to the airport, Shane's mind had raced with all the things he wanted to tell her, but now, at the feel of her in his arms, his brain drew a blank. All he could say was, "Welcome home."

Molly drew back a little bit, beaming up at him. "And it's so good to be back."

He drank in the sight of her. She had definitely changed, but the biggest difference about her was not so much visible as it was palpable. There were a few hints, of course; she had walked through the arrival gate with a more distinct buoyancy, her head held up high, but it was in her eyes that he now saw the most profound change. The girl who had, less than a year ago, called herself a freak with alarming conviction, was gone. In her place was a young woman who had learned new things about herself that seemed to have changed the very bedrock of her mind. Those two celadon windows of her soul now looked back at him with a confidence that had not been there before. An aura of new power was surrounding her and she carried it with quiet dignity.

He was happy to see that she finally seemed to be at peace with the person she was, and, _most importantly_ , the person she had been.

He leaned forward and kissed those lips he had been missing for the past ten months. And judging from the vehemence with which Molly kissed him back, she must have missed his as well.

 

_**Homecoming…** _

They took a taxi back into the city, chatting the entire way. Once in Blue Bar Harbor, they found themselves a secluded spot from where they ninja-streaked the rest of the way to the Wind Academy.

Although she already knew of the restored schools from Shane's e-mails, Molly nevertheless gasped in delight at the sight of the familiar buildings and the small, scattered groups of color-coded ninja students practicing katas and elemental techniques or sparring with each other. It was a sight she had been longing to see for more than a year and it filled her with immeasurable gratitude for the man standing next to her. Mere words, however, couldn't possibly describe the feeling that swelled up inside her, so she simply beamed at him, conveying her feelings through looks. Shane seemed to understand, for he simply smiled back at her, squeezing her hand. "Come on, I'll show you to your room. Sensei has already assigned you one in the teacher's dorm. Our rooms aren't far from each other." They began walking towards the cluster of stone buildings and Shane couldn't help himself. An impish grin spread across his face. "Matter of fact, you are right under me."

Molly didn't miss a beat. "That's a good place to be."

Shane almost stopped walking, his grin turning into an abashed smirk at the not-so-subtle dual meaning of her words. He shot her a side-glance, but Molly deliberately ignored him as she steadfastly walked on, the tiny smile that lifted the corners of her mouth the only sign of her amusement.

Her room was at the end of the hall on the ground floor of the teacher's building. Stale, warm air greeted them as soon as they walked in the door. The mattress of the full-size bed as well as a small sofa in the corner were covered with cloths and the rest of the Spartan furnishings – a dark wood desk, dresser and nightstand – were all academy issued. Shane gave her an almost apologetic look. "I know it's not much, but…"

But Molly was already scanning the small, murky room, her smile never wavering. "Are you kidding? I love it! Finally, my own four walls."

She went to open the window, then dropped her bag onto the bed and took out several old-fashioned rice paper scrolls and a cloth bag tied with a leather cord.

"Gifts from Sensei Xiang for Sensei Watanabe," she explained at Shane's questioning gaze. She held up the cloth bag. "Tibetan white tea, grown right on the monastery grounds. Very rare."

"Ah," was all the non-tea-drinker in Shane had to say and Molly grinned.

"I had this stuff every day and it made me yearn for Starbucks like you wouldn't believe."

"I bet." Shane laughed softly. "We'll just have to get us some Grande Vanilla Lattes in the city first thing in the morning, then."

Molly let out a mock-ecstatic groan. "Oh god, yes!"

They smiled at each other until Shane reluctantly tore his eyes away, redirecting them to his wristwatch. "Aw man, I gotta go and change, I have a class to teach in fifteen minutes," he said ruefully and Molly nodded.

"Okay, I want to go see Sensei anyway, bring him these gifts and talk to him about the teaching position. I'm sure he would want me to start as soon as possible."

A sudden picture of her in her teacher's robes came into Shane's mind and he smiled at the mental image. "You're probably gonna find him at his meditation pagoda. It's been his favorite spot since the restoration."

"Been his favorite spot before then as well." Molly put the gifts down and took a step closer to him, her expression hopeful. "I'll see you later, then?"

Shane ran the back of his fingers down her cheek. "How about dinner? Somewhere off-site?"

"Sounds great!"

Her genuine smile warmed him more than the hot June air that came through the open window. "I'll pick you up around seven or so."

He kissed her, but it was hardly more than a peck on the lips this time, for he was acutely aware of the fact that they were alone in a closed room with a bed way too near for comfort. Anything more than this fleeting touch of their lips would definitely make him late for class. Very late.  
Molly must have either sensed this or was experiencing a similar reaction, for she was just as contained as she mumbled, "All right."

He backed out of the room and Molly could still feel the psychic electricity crackling even after the door had fallen shut behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Shane walked slowly among his kata class, making slight adjustments in a student's stance, murmuring encouragement to another, when suddenly a joyful cry erupted from the small group of Earth ninjas a few yards behind him. He turned his head to see Carmen break out of the ranks of Dustin's class, running full speed towards Molly, who was just rounding the corner onto the training plaza. Molly broke into a run herself and the two girls threw themselves into each other's arms, their happy sobs carrying all the way across the open space.

'Carmen is lucky Dustin's teaching today,' Shane thought, amused, as he threw the grinning Earth sensei a look. 'He'll only have her do a _three_ -mile penalty run for lack of discipline.' Smiling, he watched the joyous reunion for a moment longer before he turned his attention back to his class.

Some time later, when Shane's gaze went up towards the meditation pagoda, he saw Molly sitting next to Sensei Watanabe on the stone bench, both of them deep in conversation. Shane continued to coach his students through their exercises, but just to know that she was so near brought a small smile to his face – an expression that did not go unnoticed by his students, who cast each other bewildered glances as to what could have brought about this unusual look on the normally stern face of Sensei Clark.

Molly and Sensei were _still_ talking when Shane finally dismissed his class for the day.

 

_**Fatigue…** _

When Molly finally returned to her room, the slowly setting sun had already begun to create murky shadows in each corner. The talk with Sensei had turned out longer than she had anticipated, but there had been so much to talk about – her time with Sensei Xiang, the progress of her mental powers, the curriculum for her tenure as Elemental Forces teacher, not to mention everything that had been happening in Blue Bay Harbor after she left. Sensei hadn't even made it through the accounts of the first six months when the sun began to set already. Recalling her dinner date, she had excused herself with the promise of continuing their conversation tomorrow.

Now, back in her room, she hadn't taken three steps before, out of nowhere, it suddenly and finally hit her: She was really home!

With a content smile, Molly looked around her small chamber. Home, or at least her own four walls. And with a few feminine touches, this place would be quite homely in no time. A few pictures on the wall, her favorite multi-colored blanket that was still in Carmen's and her old room…

But for now, just to find some clothes to wear for her dinner date tonight could prove difficult. Molly rummaged through her two bags of clothing, pulling out jeans and shirts until she finally found the one nice dress she owned. She spread it out onto the bed, when her gaze fell onto the dial of her wristwatch. Six o'clock already! She plopped onto the mattress, fatigue suddenly pouring over her. She tried to remember the last time she had slept and found that she couldn't. And in less than an hour, Shane was picking her up for dinner. The thought made her heart beat faster. Not the thought of food, but to share it with him. _But, God, she was tired!_

She looked at her watch again through grainy eyes. 'I can get at least twenty minutes of rest,' she concluded and lay back onto the mattress. 'I'll just will myself to wake in twenty minutes.'

Through the open window came the serene sounds of nature: the soft rustling of leaf-covered tree branches, the chirping of birds…the only signs of human existence were an unintelligible mumbling from somewhere nearby and a soft laugh in reply.

 _Almost like the monastery…_ Molly closed her tired eyes. _Twenty minutes._

The birds sang again. Molly slept.

When Shane knocked on her door an hour later, she never even twitched.

After a second rapping, he cautiously pushed open the door to find her deep asleep on top of the covers.

He quickly swallowed the pang of disappointment that rose in him while he studied her for a moment.

 _First the marathon flight from halfway around the globe, then the excitement of coming back to the restored academy, the reunion with Carmen, the long talk with Sensei_ …the corners of Shane's mouth turned up in a slight smile. _All this would have felled me like a log, too._

With a last look at her sleeping form, he withdrew back out into the hallway, quietly shutting the door behind him. There was always tomorrow.

 

_**Apologies and confrontations…** _

The next day Shane was coaching his class through a difficult and lengthy _bokken_ exercise when he suddenly noticed Molly standing under a tree a few yards off, watching with an excusatory smile. He caught her eye and gave her a quick grin, seeing her tense shoulders relax almost instantly.

Molly waited patiently until the drill was finished before she approached the small Air ninja class. She gave Shane a formal bow which he returned, although there was a spark in his eyes as he mumbled, "You look enchanting this morning."

Molly tried not to grin as she looked down at her old red-trimmed leather training uniform. "Enchanting, huh? I don't think anyone has ever called me _that_ before," she mumbled back as she straightened up. Then she cleared her throat, the awkward look from a moment ago returning to her eyes. "Listen, I wanted to apologize for yesterday…"

Shane waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I figured the jetlag probably kicked in." He did not mention his peek into her room.

Molly made a face. "Yeah, it sure did. I just meant to rest for a little bit and the next thing I know it's four in the morning."

"That's ok. I'll take a raincheck."

"How about tonight?" Molly suggested. "I promise not to take a nap this time."

"Deal."

"No. Date."

They exchanged a brief smile before Shane turned to his students.

"Class, I'd like to introduce you to Sensei Taylor. Most of you, if not all of you, will be training with her at one point as she is going to be our new Elemental Forces and Meditation teacher." He shot her a quick glance that said _'Right?'_

Molly nodded in affirmation, letting her eyes drift over the assembled ninjas. "It's going to be a pleasure working with all of you."

The perception of a stare just outside of her peripheral vision made her turn her head to find a dark-haired young man peering at her openly from the first row of students. Something about him was strangely familiar…Molly narrowed her eyes, but before she could ask whether they knew each other, the young man spoke up.

"I remember you, you are Molly," he said, his voice suddenly taking on a slightly snidely edge. "' _Last in class'_."

That detested nickname was a powerful enough gust of wind to instantly lift the fog from Molly's memory. _Andrews_! She couldn't remember his first name, but she now vividly remembered everything else about the cocky Air ninja who had been in most of her classes during her first few months at the Wind Academy - especially the sneers and sarcastic remarks about her below average performances during physical combat training. Hence the nickname, bestowed upon her by his truly.

She kept her face carefully devoid of any emotion, however, as she turned to him. "That was a long time ago," she replied evenly. "Some things have changed since then."

"But _you_ are an Elementals teacher now?" he exclaimed disbelievingly. Molly immediately sensed the underlying message that said, _What could **you** possibly teach **me**?_

He said no more, but as he stared defiantly at Molly, the unspoken challenge was clear in his eyes.

Shane recognized the look as well and decided to take action. He took a step towards them and folded his arms across his chest. "Sensei Taylor, I believe the class would benefit from a personal demonstration," he said, an even though he never looked at his student, Molly instantly knew what he had in mind. Her hesitation was imperceptible.

"Gladly, Sensei Clark."

Her eyes never leaving Andrews' face, she nodded towards the wooden training sword the ninja student was still holding. "Would you do me the honor of attacking me, please?"

A brief look of confusion came over the young man's face, only to be quickly replaced by a barely concealed expression of complacence as he raised his _bokken._ The rest of the class backed off until a kind of rough half-circle formed around Molly and Andrews.

For a moment, nothing happened. Molly stood with her feet slightly apart, hands behind her back while Andrews, in classic Air attack position, seized her up with his eyes.

His attack was lightening fast as he first feinted a side sweep, then moved in with an overhead slash that had enough power behind it to take off Molly's head, even with a wooden weapon.

Molly took a deep breath, but never moved. Her only reaction was a narrowing of her eyes – but it stopped Andrews dead in his tracks. The Air ninja's bokken stopped in mid-air as if he had ran headlong into an invisible wall. Not wanting to embarrass himself by having to retreat and try again, he strained against the unseen barrier instead, his lips pulled back in a growl from the effort.

Molly calmly watched him struggle for a moment longer before she brought one of her hands up from behind her back. The dark-haired ninja student was immediately picked up from the ground and flung backwards several feet by a powerful gust of wind.

Murmurs of awe could be heard from the students around her, but Molly ignored them as she strode towards the fallen Air ninja. He had kept a grip on his weapon, but made no move to use it or even get up as she approached him; instead, he simply gazed at her, dazed. Molly held out her hand. "Like I said, _Last in class_ was a long time ago. I've learned a few things in the meantime." She helped him up, then bowed. "I'll see you in Elementals class tomorrow."

When she turned to Shane, his face was unreadable, but his eyes communicated respect and admiration – and more than just a little humor.

"Impressive. It's going to be fun working with you, I can already tell."

"But first we'll eat," she said. "See you later tonight, then?"

"I'll pick you up same time as yesterday– you choose the place to go."

Molly grinned. "Then I already know exactly where we'll be going. See ya later."

The grin stayed on her face while she gave him a parting bow, turned and headed back towards the teacher's dorm.

Although they hadn't overheard the murmured exchange between the two teachers, several mouths nevertheless turned upwards in comprehending smiles behind black leather ninja masks at the lingering glance Sensei Clark cast at the retreating back of Sensei Taylor.

 

**_DINNER…_ **

Shane looked around the noisy room. "I can't believe I put on one of my good shirts for _this_ ," he groaned, steadfastly ignoring the oversized cardboard replica of Ronald McDonald grinning down on them from its spot next to their booth.

Molly just smiled while she shoved some French fries into her mouth.

"You know, I would have taken you to a place where they have tablecloths," the former Red Ranger pointed out, but Molly only shook her head.

"I didn't want tablecloths; I wanted a Big Mac." She took a bite from said burger, closing her eyes in pleasure. "Mmmm. After almost a year of nothing else but bread with Yak butter, rice and boiled roots, this is heaven, believe me."

Shane did believe her.

He nibbled on his own food while watching her surreptitiously for a moment as she relished her sandwich before he said, "So, tell me about Sensei Xiang."

Molly waved a French fry excitedly. "An amazing man, absolutely amazing. I mean, he has got to be a hundred years old, but there was an aura of power around him unlike anything I've ever felt before." She stabbed the air with her fry in emphasis until Shane plucked it from her fingers and popped it into his mouth. She retaliated by snatching a chicken nugget from him.

"He took me hiking once, to his favorite meditation spot high up in the mountains around the monastery, and by the time we reached the plateau _I_ was the one panting and gasping while he wasn't even out of breath. I was so wiped out that he had to chop the firewood for our camp that night. Very embarrassing, let me tell you."

Shane laughed softly, and for a moment Molly laughed with him until she suddenly grew serious again. "But the training with him was hard, Shane. There were times I thought my mind was losing its mind." Her eyes took on a faraway look. "I've learned so much from him, but there was a price to pay. Sensei Xiang…he got into my head, invaded my dreams at night…there was no privacy. At least not mentally." Molly focused back on Shane. "Sensei made it very clear from the start that he did not teach anyone without knowing everything about his students. And that was his way of getting to know me – straight to the source, so to speak. I have never been so mentally naked in my life. It was… _disconcerting_ to say the least."

"I bet," Shane agreed, looking mildly uncomfortable. "When you think that the only genuinely private thing you'll ever have are your own thoughts…"

"Not with Sensei Xiang," Molly smiled feebly. "This was definitely a spiritual journey like no other. But it was all worth it in the end. He taught me things I never thought I could do."

"Well, from that little demonstration you gave earlier, I'd say he definitely showed you some very neat new tricks," Shane quipped, but Molly didn't share his merriment.

"Yeah, well, I'm still not sure if I'm teacher material, though." Her gaze darkened. "I'm still not a ninja. I still can't even properly defend myself in actual combat. If I didn't have my powers, I wouldn't have lasted one second against Andrews this morning."

Shane leaned forward. "But you _do_ have them, and they're what makes you _you_! Besides, you'll be teaching Elemental Powers; it's not like that's going to involve any physical fighting." The discouraged expression on her face did not lift, however, so he quickly continued. "All right, if it's gonna make you feel any better I'll gladly teach you every close contact defensive move I know," he said, his mouth splitting into a mischievous grin, and this time it worked.

She looked at him, eyes sparkling from underneath long, dark lashes. "I would like that. Very much."

Shane held her gaze, very much aware that they were not talking about martial arts anymore.

Molly's voice was husky as she reached for his hand across the table. "Let's go home."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Some shameless references to my first Shane fic "Betrayal" here. (evil grin)

The hallway of the Wind Academy's teacher dormitory was so tomb-silent that Molly had the sudden urge to tiptoe, but Shane was clearly not sharing her discretion.

"So now that you're back, what are your next plans?" he asked, not bothering to lower his voice.

She cocked her head, considering the question for a moment, before she replied, "Well, since I dropped out of high school for my little trip, I guess I'll make my GED, but besides that and teaching here…I haven't really given anything else in my life much thought." She gave him a quick look. "As for any _one_ else in my life, though…" They came to a stop in front of her door and she suddenly averted her eyes, looking shyly down at his shirt. "Listen, I know I've been gone a long time, but I was really hoping that we could pick up where we left off…"

Shane cut her off by placing his hand under her chin, thus lifting her head. And before she could ramble on, he firmly pressed his lips onto hers. She still tasted faintly of vanilla shake.

"Absolutely," he said simply when their mouths finally parted.

Over the sound of her thundering heart, Molly suddenly became aware that they were still standing outside her door in the hallway, in clear view of anyone who happened to pass by. Not that she cared who saw them, but she wanted to be alone with Shane, and the hallway was not the place for some of the things she had in mind. So she wordlessly took his hand while she unlocked her door. No further invitation had to be relayed as she led him inside.

Shane let his eyes roam around the room. Apparently, Molly hadn't had time to properly move in yet. The place looked exactly as it had yesterday, the only difference was that the cloths had been removed from the couch and the mattress. A few splashes of color were provided by small stacks of clothes piled onto the sofa. The duffle bag from her trip was still propped up against the bed. Two more half-empty bags sat on the floor. Molly caught his gaze. "Earlier on, Carmen brought over my stuff from our old room," she said, pointing to the bags. "I'm gonna have to take it all to the Laundromat, because they all have this 'alien spaceship' smell on them."

Shane nodded in sympathy. "I can imagine. I remember after we got the students back, there was a mad rush for the showers and the Laundromat, too." Shane suddenly sighed. "Problem is, memories don't wash off."

Molly joined in with a sigh of her own. "Yeah, I know," she whispered, then stood on her tiptoes to peck him on the cheek. "Speaking of…I'm going to wash hands real quick. I'll be right back." And with that, she disappeared into her tiny bathroom.

After a moment of indecisively standing around, Shane sauntered over to the only electronic gadget he saw in the room: a small boom box sitting on the desk. Next to it was Molly's CD collection; four in total. Shane looked through the titles, then popped in Kenny G. and moments later the smooth, soulful tunes of the sax player filled the small room.

He went to the window, propped his hip onto the ledge and looked out at what would have been a view of the main training plaza. At almost ten o'clock at night, however, the silvery moonlight illuminated only shadows of various shades between gray and anthracite. A few torches were lit at the four corners of the plaza, making the shadows there twitch and dance.

He was staring into the darkness beyond the glass, seeing not even the little bit of scenery that was visible, his mind solely on the things that might happen in this room if he were to remain. He was suddenly nervous yet elated, excited yet a little scared, and he wasn't quite sure what brought about this stew of emotions.

But, no, he told himself with a small shake of his head and a heavy sigh, he _did_ know.

Something that had been on his mind for far too long. An incident that had to be laid out in the open between Molly and him before they could move on with their relationship – if Molly still wanted a relationship after hearing what he had to say. Shane couldn't suppress an almost violent shiver as the snake of guilt slithered up his spine and settled in his heart to feed upon him. Memories of events only a few months past yet they seemed to have happened a lifetime ago. (see "Betrayal")

Dark, disturbing images of sable-brown hair and azure eyes, a body with all the right curves and a cunning that had caused him to lose his head for a while – and almost his hand as a consequence. Crystal. Who had played him like a sucker, had drawn him in with her charm and beauty, had seduced him – and had worked for Lothor the entire time. Back then he had been deeply wounded by her betrayal; now he was wondering just how deeply he would wound Molly by telling her about Crystal. But it had to be done. Now that she was back, she would sense his guilt sooner or later anyways. Besides, he didn't want any secrets between them. For his own sake, he had to come clean – tonight

Shane was so wrapped up in his thoughts that her sudden voice beside him startled him. "I stood here earlier today, and I thought to myself that this was the best view in the whole world." Molly said happily. "Just to see the Academy whole again…" She trailed off, and with a somewhat wobbly smile, Shane reached out to her.

She leaned back into his embrace and was at once enveloped in the aura of power still emanating from him. He might not be a Ranger anymore, but his vibes of strength and courage had hardly diminished. She felt… _protected_ , and the feeling was so new and unfamiliar to her that it took her a moment to recognize it.

He tightened his arms around her waist just as she tightened her grips around his arms, and together they stood gazing out into the darkness and the lambent dance of the torches lining the perimeters of the training plaza.

"You know," Molly continued softly, "The day I got your e-mail that the schools were back and all the ninjas were safe…I think that was one of the happiest days of my life." She turned her head and regarded him sideways. "I wanted to kiss you so badly that day…and not just out of gratitude."

Shane smiled modestly. One of his hands left her waist for a moment to sweep her hair aside, and he kissed the back of her neck. Molly made a noise between a sigh and a moan and craned her neck to allow him access to as much skin as possible.

"Well, you can always make good for that now," he murmured, his lips grazing the skin just below her earlobe. She shuddered and instinctively pressed herself tighter to the firm body behind her, feeling Shane's breath on her neck quicken in response.

Then, suddenly, she turned in his arms – a quick, graceful motion that was so fluid it never broke his hold around her waist. Her arms came up at the same time, settling around his neck, their faces now only inches apart.

"Yes, I do owe you that kiss, don't I?" she said huskily and quickly closed the short distance between their mouths.

He groaned at the contact of their lips. One kiss turned into two, then three. By then, Shane was barely hanging on to his self-control. Her mouth opened, willing, and he took all that she offered. Gentle touches, tender and soft, as all the months of waiting and longing came pouring out of him. He kissed the corners of her mouth, tracing her lips with his tongue. The resulting sound from deep in her throat finally shattered his tenuous control and he plunged his tongue into her mouth, toying, exploring, sucking. She clung to him, and the feeling of her body in his arms felt so right, so natural. As if it was always meant to be this way. Her heat was mingling with his own, and desire washed over him with the force of a tidal wave. If his mouth had been free he would have grinned at the metaphor. _Wrong element!_

Shane's body reacted to her with a vehemence that astonished him as the groin area of his jeans was rapidly becoming way too tight. There was no way Molly couldn't feel this. He pulled back from her mouth, breathless, only to see her eyes, huge and heated behind her glasses, gazing back at him. Her fingers were in his hair, but now she brought her hand to his cheek, caressing the side of his face with slender fingers. Her voice was but a whisper.

"Stay with me tonight."

Shane swallowed. It was what he longed to hear and was afraid of hearing at the same time, for the next step was commitment, a joining of souls along with their bodies, and Shane was afraid, desperately afraid, of hurting her. Or getting hurt, for that matter. "Are you sure?" he asked hesitatingly, "I mean, there's no need to rush."

She met his gaze steadily. "After ten months of waiting, I don't consider this rushing." She tilted her head slightly, intending to kiss him again, but Shane puzzled her by turning his head towards the window instead. He drew in a long breath and when he turned his gaze back to her, his eyes were clouded with anxiety. "There's something you need to know." He cleared his throat. "Something that happened…a few months ago…"

She could tell he was trying to gather his thoughts, to make his next words as coherent as possible. He needn't have bothered; the psychic emanations that came off him told Molly more than he could have put into words. The feelings of hurt, guilt and regret penetrated her mind at the same time as the vision of a girl's beautiful face, a bedroom…Then it abruptly changed to a cold, windowless room, fear, Lothor's masked visage grinning triumphantly. The glint of a wicked-looking blade as it sped towards the wrist holding the red Wind morpher, panic… _My God!_

Molly blinked, exhaling sharply as she cast him a shocked look. One that Shane obviously misinterpreted as pain and urgency re-shaped his handsome features. "Molly, listen, it wasn't…"

Then he blinked in surprise when Molly suddenly placed a finger over his lips. "Ssshhh. It doesn't matter."

"But…"

She shook her head firmly. "Before I left I told you _no strings_ , remember? I meant it. Whatever happened between you and _whoever_ – as long as it's finished, it doesn't matter."

"Oh, it's finished," he reassured her in a hoarse whisper, almost dizzy with relief at her reaction to his half-spoken 'confession'.

"That's all I need to know," she said, the look in her eyes emphasizing her words. She touched his face again, tenderly, her voice soft. "If one day you want to talk about what happened, then I'll be here to listen, but for now…just you and me," she whispered, drawing him in for another kiss.

They took their time undressing each other, savoring the sight and feel of each other's bodies. Molly pushed the shirt off his shoulders, letting her hands roam over his muscular arms and his smooth chest while Shane reached behind her, unzipping her dress in one quick motion. As the fabric pooled around her ankles, Molly felt a moment of distinct self-consciousness – the physical and mental strains of the past few months, together with the Spartan cuisine of the Tibetan monks, had left her thin almost to the point of gauntness, and she had the fight the instinctual urge to reach down and re-cover herself with her dress. Shane seemed to sense this, for he leaned close, his dark eyes intent. "You're beautiful," he said simply, followed this statement with a searing kiss, and, in one swooping motion, suddenly gathered her up and carried her towards the bed. When he gently lowered her onto the mattress she held on to him, pulling him down with her until he was on top of her. Quietly, slowly, they touched, exploring and getting to know the details of each other's bodies.

Shane drank in the sight of her. Molly's obvious excitement fueled his own to no end, but there was also a lingering, sweet shyness about her that was just as erotic to him as her naked body. He kissed his way down the side of her neck and over her collar bone, making Molly shudder with pleasure - as much from the touch of Shane's lips on her skin as from the feelings of love and passion that came off him in torrents. Her psychic perceptions were so honed from months of fine-tuning that she actually had to work on shutting some of his emotions out to keep from getting overwhelmed by them.

Speech was replaced by fiery gazes, ragged breaths and wordless exclamations of pleasure as they finally shed the last of their inhibitions together with the rest of their clothing and gave themselves over to the pristine joy of their love.

Shane was alight with an inner fire,fighting for control to take his time, letting her adjust to him, carefully trying to sense any discomfort on her part. He saw nothing but love and trust in her eyes which had darkened to a shade of emerald green with desire. Her arms came around his back, drawing him closer, fusing him to her.

They moved together in an unbroken harmonious rhythm, her small cries of pleasure fueling his passion until he felt like his heart could swell no more. Her face, her heat, her body…Shane's visual field narrowed until there was nothing but _her_ and he lost himself in her bottomless eyes until he could hold out no longer. He cried out, feeling her clench around him, her back arching as they went over the edge together.

The balmy June night had nothing to do with the sweat that mingled between their bodies as they held each other through the gradually fading tremors of their climaxes. After a while, Shane lifted his head from her chest, his gaze clear, intent and honest as he whispered, "I love you, Molly Taylor."

Molly's breath caught in her throat, for she knew he had said these words not as a proper way to wrap up their lovemaking, nor had he merely blurted them out in the aftermath of his release. She sensed that those feelings for her had been there for quite some time, probably since before she had left. Molly was humbled by this revelation, but it also made her almost delirious with joy, for it gave her the chance to finally tell him what had been stowed inside her as well. Running her hand through his sweat-damp hair, her mouth articulated the words, but it was her heart that really spoke.

"And I love you, Shane Clark."

Unlike her, Shane wasn't psychic and he didn't need to be, for he saw the truth of her words in her eyes. They bore straight into his soul and the unadulterated joy he felt at that moment he could not possibly articulate even if his life depended on it. He chose to show her instead by reaching for her again.

And some time later, when he was at the brink of sleep with her in his arms, he felt complete – and at peace. Finally at peace.


	4. Chapter 4

The movement next to Molly was subtle, yet enough to rouse her from her light sleep. She stirred, blinking sleepily, and turned her head to find Shane watching her. His dark eyes were on her, and there was wariness in that look. Behind him, the first rays of the new morning sun were just filtering through the bamboo slats of her window's blinds.

' _He's wondering if I'm having a change of heart now,'_ she thought with a start, now fully awake, even before the confirming vibes reached her. Determined to quench his uncertainty, she smiled and reached for his face, stroking his cheek. "Hi."

The wary look was instantly replaced by a sparkle. "Good morning," he said softly, returning her smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, but I have to get ready for morning meditation class."

She stretched lazily, snuggling closer to him in the same motion. "It's ok. I'm used to getting up at sunrise now. After ten months of doing it every day, I guess it's become a habit."

"Good. Feel free to take over my class any time, because I'm definitely _not_ used to it yet." He yawned and pulled her close to him until her head rested onto his chest. "Class starts at six; by six-fifteen, half of them are asleep again – including me."

She chuckled, and felt his chest vibrate with his own soft laughter.

When she looked up there was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Sounds to me like you're gonna have to work harder on focusing your mind. I can help you with that." Her hand slid down his chest, over his stomach and lower until she found what she was looking for.

Shane practically jumped at the touch of her hand. "Whoa, I'm _definitely_ focused now!"

Molly grinned and squeezed, making something else jump as well.

Heat came into his gaze as Shane instantly made up his mind that meditation class could wait a few more minutes.

They came together with a passion that left them both breathless, generating so much heat under the thin top sheet that Molly wouldn't have been surprised to see steam escaping from between their bodies.

Afterwards, Shane gathered her into his arms, sealing their lips with a slow, languid kiss.

It was a kiss that was about love and devotion, tenderness and the deep affection that would always outlast any mere physical passion. The kiss said I love you. Not just _I want you_ , or _I desire you_ , but _I love you_.

 

_**Tardiness…** _

Tori and Dustin were waiting for Shane at their customary spot under the ancient cypress tree. The three teachers had made it a habit to always arrive together for meditation class, thus demonstrating the unity between the three elements to their students anew every morning. Now Tori was looking towards the front entrance of the teacher's building for the umpteenth time. Dustin followed her gaze. "Think he overslept?"

"Maybe, but I have a feeling that he is…otherwise preoccupied." The Water ninja smiled at Dustin's confused look. "Well, think about it – Shane's been on cloud nine ever since Molly came back..."

'Ain't _that_ the truth," the Earth ninja grinned back. "So you think he got some last night?"

"After waiting for her all those months, I sure hope he did," Tori replied without missing a beat, her own grin growing wider. "I'll know the moment I see his face."

"Huh?"

Tori gave her friend a bemused side-glance. "You guys always get this look on your faces after you've gotten laid. Kind of a half-happy, half-smug grin that you can't seem to wipe off your mugs for the rest of the day."

Dustin looked like he was having an internal debate with himself as to whether to laugh or to protest at his blonde friend's analogy.

Just then Shane came bolting through the dorm's door and jogged towards them, his teacher's robes flapping behind him – a happy/smug half-grin on his face.

Dustin's mouth quirked. "You mean _that_ look?"

Tori folded her arms across her chest with an amused 'I rest my case' expression on her face. "Yup, that one."

"Hey, guys," Shane called out even before he came to a stop in front of them. "Sorry I'm late. Got distracted."

Dustin raised his eyebrows. "Lemme guess: would the distraction be about this high…" he held his hand about five and a half feet off the ground, smirking. "…with long hair, soon to be wearing teacher's robes?"

Shane was now sporting a grin of his own. "Tomorrow, to be exact," he said as he fell into step with his friends, and together they headed for the training plaza.

"Molly's first day is tomorrow?" Tori exclaimed. "That's great!"

"Awesome, dude," Dustin agreed. "Then Molly's officially part of the family now."

The three ninja teachers grinned at each other and Shane's heart swelled with joy knowing that Dustin wasn't just talking about Molly's part of the Wind Academy's teaching staff. He stepped in between his two friends, wrapping his arms around their shoulders. "Thanks, guys. For, well, _accepting_ her like that."

Tori smiled. "No sweat, Shane. She's good for you. Besides, she'll keep you grounded."

"Not to mention _grinning_ ," Dustin quipped.

Laughing and joking, the three former Rangers rounded the corner onto the training grounds where their students awaited them.

 

_**Epilogue…** _

Later that night in Shane's room, after another delicious round of lovemaking, Molly let out a blissful sigh and snuggled tighter into his embrace. Shane pulled the sheet over them while he nipped playfully at her lower lip.

A comfortable lethargy settled over them; Molly rested her head on Shane's chest, letting his steady heartbeat lull her further towards sleep. But before she succumbed to it, she asked sleepily, "So…you mind if I tag along for sunrise meditation class tomorrow?"

Shane drew their interlaced hands up and lightly kissed the back of hers. "Not at all. I would like that. Very much."

Molly suddenly lifted her head and looked up at him. "You know, I just thought about something; I've been gone all this time and didn't even bring you anything back from Tibet…"

Shane let out a chuckle. "No worries. I've got the best present right here." He tilted his head forward, captured her lips with his, and for a long moment, silence reigned.

"This is much better than gallons of rare Tibetan white tea," he grinned when he finally released her mouth again. Molly smiled drowsily as she nestled back into his arms.

And in the darkness and privacy of his room, Shane held Molly, Molly held Shane - and destiny held them both.

They fell asleep spooned up against each other, drifting through dreamland and into a new day – the first of many- together.

 

**THE END**


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